On Monday, Sling Media released SlingPlayer for Mac 1.0, a Mac OS X version of its media player software for the Slingbox device.
The software, which is currently available as a public beta, is a 55 megabyte download and allows Slingbox users to view content on their Macs. According the iLounge, the software purports to allow users to be able to view Slingbox content from an Apple TV as weel as “Front Row, iPod in Apple’s Universal Dock or iPod in an iPod Hi-Fi.” This version also allows viewing through the newly-released Apple TV system.
Sling Media claims the Slingbox device currently supports over 5,000 different devices, including the latest cable boxes and digital video recorders. Users can access the SlingPlayer remote from their Mac to change the channel or open a new media file.
SlingPlayer 1.0 for the Mac requires a 700 MHz G4 or 1.6 GHz Intel Core Duo processor and Mac OS X 10.3.9 or Mac OS X 10.4.7 or later to run. The software is encoded as a Universal Binary and functions at native speeds on both PowerPC and Intel-based hardware.
If you’ve tried the beta and can provide feedback about it, let us know.

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Boston-based toy manufacturer Mimoco has announced that the company is now shipping its Star Wars-themed USB 2.0 flash drives. The drives, which are available in one gigabyte, two gigabyte and four gigabyte capacities, range from US$69.95 to US$149.95 according to Macworld News.
The drives, which are available in limited quantities, feature Darth Vader, Chewbacca, a Stormtrooper and R2-D2. The devices also ship with Star Wars content loaded onto the drive such as desktop wallpaper graphics, desktop icons, movie trailers and sound effects.
It’s a badge of dorkiness, but it’s also the 30th anniversary of some of the greatest films ever made. With that in mind, odds are your friends and loved ones will understand. And when you explain to your friends and loved ones that the drives are both Mac and Windows-compatible, only sincere admiration can follow.

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A recent report posted along with Apple’s newly-released Battery Update 1.2 firmware fix admits some problems which the software hopes to remedy. The update, which was released on Friday, is designed for the batteries that shipped with its MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops between February 2006 and April 2007.
“Apple has recently discovered that some batteries used in its MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks may have battery performance issues,” the report explains.
According to Macworld UK, the report stresses that the batteries pose no safety risk – an important reassurance given the swelling issues that have accompanied various batteries since last year.
Apple’s report also states that the company is offering free battery replacement for batteries that exhibit the following symptoms after the update is installed:
-Battery is not recognized causing an ‚ÄúX‚Äù to appear in the battery icon in the Finder menu bar.
-Battery will not charge when computer is plugged into AC power.
-Battery exhibits low charge capacity/runtime when using a fully charged battery with a battery cycle count (as shown in System Profiler) of less than 300.
-Battery pack is visibly deformed.
Free replacement batteries can be obtained “for up to two years from the date of purchase of the computer,” according to the report. Replacement checks can be conducted at Apple Store Locations, Apple Authorized Service Providers and via Apple’s telephone support system.
If you’ve had any experience, positive or negative with Battery Update 1.2, let us know.